Three Kingdoms: Start by buying a governor.

The next day, he visited Zhu Jun.

Zhu Jun was also a veteran general, and was as famous as Huangfu Song.

Although he was a bit more old-fashioned, he highly recognized Liu Ce's military achievements.

Zhu Jun's residence was even simpler, with vegetables growing in the courtyard. When Liu Ce arrived, he was watering the vegetables.

"Your Highness, please wait a moment. I will come over as soon as I finish watering this plot," Zhu Jun said without looking up.

Liu Ce smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "I'll help you."

The two of them, one carrying a bucket and the other watering, thoroughly watered the entire vegetable garden.

Zhu Jun then washed his hands and invited Liu Ce into the main room.

"Your Highness Prince Yan, do you not find my humble abode offensive?" Zhu Jun asked with a smile.

"How could that be?" Liu Ce said sincerely. "General Zhu is honest and upright, and he is a role model for us all."

Zhu Jun waved his hand and said, "What role model or not, I just can't stand those people making money. Prince Yan, let me speak frankly to Your Highness—Your Highness has been granted a title, but the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against you. When you return to Youzhou, remember to keep a low profile and don't give anyone any leverage against you."

This is a tactful way of putting it, but the meaning is clear: We support you, but you need to be careful and not be too ostentatious.

Liu Ce nodded and said, "I will keep General Zhu's teachings in mind."

......

I left behind a few jars of fine wine and took my leave.

...

On the third day, they visited Lu Zhi.

Lu Zhi was a man of both literary and military talent, a renowned general and a great scholar. In this court hearing, he cited classical texts to justify Liu Ce's enfeoffment as a king, a truly invaluable contribution.

"Lord Lu, thank you very much," Liu Ce said sincerely.

Lu Zhi waved his hand: "I am merely stating the facts. The Prince of Yan's achievements are sufficient to make an exception. However..."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "A tall tree catches the wind. Now that the Prince of Yan has been enfeoffed as a king and is in charge of the military affairs of three provinces, he will inevitably become the target of everyone's attacks. After returning to Youzhou, you should be careful with your words and actions and plan your next move slowly."

These are heartfelt words.

Liu Ce bowed and said, "I humbly accept your instruction."

They chatted for a while...

After leaving Lu Zhi's residence, Liu Ce had a clear understanding of the situation.

Most of the military officers supported him—after all, he was a military man by origin and had distinguished himself through military achievements.

Within the civil service, even upright officials like Lu Zhi supported it, but the aristocratic families... still needed to be guarded against.

"Brother, where to next?" Zhao Yun asked.

Liu Ce thought for a moment and said, "Let's go back to the manor. Tomorrow we'll go to Zhuolong Garden—that brat Liu Bian invited me to watch his horsemanship and archery."

Zhao Yun laughed and said, "Prince Bian is indeed close to our lord."

"That child is naive," Liu Ce said, shaking his head. "It's a pity he was born into an imperial family."

...

That morning, at Zhuolong Garden.

This is a royal horse ranch, covering a vast area with flat pastures, a shooting range, a training ground, stables, pavilions... the environment is excellent.

As soon as Liu Ce arrived, he saw Liu Bian excitedly running over, saying, "Uncle! You're here! Just wait and see how I perform!"

The child was dressed in a smart outfit today. Although he is only about ten years old, he already looks quite dashing.

Liu Ce smiled and patted his head, saying, "Alright, I'll see how Bian'er performs in a little while."

Liu Bian became even more excited and ran off to prepare.

Liu Ce stood at the edge of the field, with Dian Wei and Xu Chu following behind him.

He looked up and saw that someone was sitting in the pavilion above—Empress He.

He Lian was dressed simply today, but she was still radiant and beautiful.

She was looking at Liu Bian in the arena, a gentle smile on her face.

Seeing Liu Ce looking over, she nodded slightly, her smile deepening.

Liu Ce's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked away.

This woman... in public, she should tone it down!

At this moment, Liu Bian was ready.

He mounted a horse—a horse specially trained for princes, docile yet agile.

"drive!"

Liu Bian spurred the horse's belly, and the foal galloped across the grassland.

Empress He Lian watched her son galloping across the field, a gratified smile appearing on her face.

"Are you ready?" she asked her personal maid in a soft voice.

The maid whispered, "Your Majesty, everything is ready."

The young man rode on his horse with a tall and straight posture, exuding a heroic air.

It circled the track three times, at a slow but steady pace.

Then he picked up his bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the target in the distance.

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—"

Three arrows fired in quick succession.

"Tap! Tap! Tap!"

Almost every arrow hit the bullseye—though not the bullseye, it was still very accurate.

For a ten-year-old child to reach this level is quite impressive.

He reined in his bow, his face flushed with pride, and looked longingly at Liu Ce on the sidelines.

Those eyes clearly said, "Uncle, praise me!"

Liu Ce smiled.

Liu Bian dismounted and ran over, looking up at him, and asked, "Uncle, how did I do?"

Liu Ce stood with his arms crossed, watching the boy's nimble movements. A smile played on his lips as he walked over and patted the boy's shoulder, saying, "Well done, nephew. You haven't been slacking off these past two years. Your riding and archery skills are much better than before. All the skills I taught you back then weren't wasted."

These words delighted Liu Bian. He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and scratched the back of his head, nodding repeatedly like an endearing little puppy, saying, "The method taught by the Imperial Uncle is really effective! I practice it for half an hour almost every now and then!"

At this moment, He Lian came down from the pavilion, surrounded by palace maids.

As she approached, Liu Bian and Liu Ce stepped forward together to greet her:

"Mother Empress."

"Your Majesty the Empress."

He Lian waved her hand to dismiss the formalities, smiled at Liu Bian, and reached out to brush the dust off his shoulder, saying, "I just saw it. Bian'er's shooting is accurate, and his riding is steady. He's much better than last time."

Liu Bian was a little embarrassed by the praise, scratched his head, and said sweetly, "It's all thanks to my uncle's good teaching. If it weren't for my uncle, how could I have practiced so well?"

Upon hearing this, He Lian turned to look at Liu Ce, her smile softening and her tone becoming exceptionally gentle as she said, "I must thank you, Prince Yan. This child listens to you, and it's all thanks to your hard work in teaching him."

"He's my own nephew, no need to be so polite." Liu Ce waved his hand with a smile, showing no formality whatsoever.

But in his heart he was thinking: Why is this woman so...gentle today? Something's not right.

He Lian said to Liu Bian, "Bian'er, it's noon now, let's invite our Imperial Uncle to lunch."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian laughed and said, "Alright!"

He Lian then suggested with a smile, "It's too noisy in the palace. I had my maid prepare a quiet residence outside the palace, with some wine and dishes. Shall the three of us, uncle and nephew, go and have a seat?"

Alarm bells rang in Liu Ce's mind.

A residence outside the palace? Quiet? Just the three of us?

This is obviously... (๑＞؂＜๑)

"Alright," Liu Ce said with a smile, "then I'll trouble the Empress."

He Lian's smile deepened as she said, "Your Highness is too kind. Please."

The three of them rode together in a carriage to the mansion.

They chatted and laughed along the way, making it quite lively.

Liu Bian chattered on about what was happening in the palace: which tutor's lectures were interesting, which study companion he had tricked, and what new tricks he had recently learned...

He Lian occasionally chimed in with a few words, her tone gentle.

Liu Ce listened and smiled, but in his heart he was thinking: This mansion... was it specially prepared by He Lian?

The mansion was not far from the palace; it was a three-courtyard complex, elegantly and quietly furnished.

It looks like it's regularly maintained, but it doesn't seem like a permanent residence—it's probably He Lian's private property.